Upper Mokelumne Watershed Meadows Restoring Watershed Services Gwen Starrett and Pat McGreevy Reviewed by R. Farrington
Project Goals ▪ Increase pace and scale of restoration post- Cornerstone ▪ ACCG members take lead in funding and pre-project assessment ▪ Restore watershed services ▪ Restore hydrology ▪ Improve meadow habitat for sensitive species ▪ Improve stream habitat for sensitive species ▪ Improve grazing habitat long-term ▪ Build capacity for restoration work with local workforce
High Meadow Tyler Meadow
High Onion Tyler Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Habitat
Mokelumne Watershed Meadow Assessment Gullies outside Main Vegetation Meadow Name Bank Height Bank Stability Bare Ground Encroachment Channel Condition Meadows rated by Starrett and McGreevy 2017 Upper Onion 2.5 2.5 2 2 2 2 Valley “High” Onion Meadow 3 3 2 1 2 3 (Mdw_1734) Tyler Meadow 4 4 2 2 4 2 (Mdw_1737) Meadows rated by Starrett, McGreevy, Long, and Childress 2015 Deer Valley 4 3 4 ND 1* 1 Ham Spring 2 1 1 ND 1* 3 “Tract Home” 4 4 4 ND 2* 2 (MdwID_1794) Meadows rated by American Rivers 2012 Pacific Valley 1 1 2 2 1 1 Indian Valley 1 2 1 2 1 2 Tryon Meadow 2 2 2 2 1 4 Little Indian 2 3 1 3 2 3 Valley 1- heavily impacted 2 – moderately impacted 3- slightly impacted 4- natural condition ND- not determined
Upper Onion Valley Meadow Area: 7.43 ac. Weixelman ID: ELD9905 Elevation 7458 ft. Riparian low gradient meadow
Upper Onion Valley Meadow American Rivers Score Card Meadow Name Bank Gullies Bank Vegetation Bare Encroachment Height outside Main Stability Condition Ground Channel Meadows rated by Starrett and McGreevy 2017 Upper Onion Valley 2 2 2.5 2 2 2 1- heavily impacted 2 – moderately impacted 3- slightly impacted 4- natural condition
Upper Onion Valley Meadow American Rivers Score Card Meadow Name Bank Gullies Bank Vegetation Bare Encroachment Height outside Main Stability Condition Ground Channel Meadows rated by Starrett and McGreevy 2017 Upper Onion Valley 2 2 2.5 2 2 2 1- heavily impacted 2 – moderately impacted 3- slightly impacted 4- natural condition
Upper Onion Valley • Incised channels dewater meadow (red arrows) • Remnant channel (blue arrow)
8N03 Is a Stream Channel
Upper Onion Valley Meadow Dewatering Factors • Road 8N03 captures water & sediment above background rates & diverts into meadow • Incised channels across top of meadow and along full length of meadow • Headcut migrating up meadow draining ponds • Cattle contributing to bank instability • Conifer encroachment lowering water table
Upper Onion Valley Restoration Considerations – Disperse captured water off of 8N03 to reduce water/sediment transport to meadow – Raise water table by pond and plug – Return flows to remnant channel – Gradient control structure at outlet of meadow – Remove encroaching conifers from meadow
High Onion Valley Meadow Name Bank Gullies Bank Vegetation Bare Encroachment Height outside Main Stability Condition Ground Channel Meadows rated by Starrett, McGreevy, Childress and Long 2015 High Meadow 3 3 2 1 2 3
High Onion Valley • Incised channel dewaters meadow (red arrow) • Remnant channel (blue arrow)
High Onion Meadow Dewatering Factors • Roads transport water and sediment above background accelerating channel incision & sedimentation • Spread water off of roads • Incised channels across top and south side of meadow • Gullies migrating to head of meadow • Conifer encroachment
High Onion Meadow Restoration Considerations – Reduce water/sediment transport from roads – Channel remediation for incised channels: pond and plug – Return flows to remnant channel – Gradient control structure at outlet of meadow – Remove encroaching conifers from meadow
Onion Creek Drainages • Deeply incised channels • Redox soils indicate old meadow
Onion Creek Drainages
Large Woody Debris Structures • Sediment deposition upstream • 3.5 foot elevation change • Vegetation establishing in sediment • Pool formed downstream
Natural Anchor Points for Woody Debris • Woody debris – deposition and scouring • Rock anchors
Tyler Meadow American Rivers Score Card Meadow Name Bank Gullies Bank Vegetation Bare Encroachment Height outside Stability Condition Ground Main Channel Meadows rated by Starrett and McGreevy 2017 Tyler Meadow 4 2 4 2 4 2 (Mdw_1737)
Tyler Meadow • Current channel (red arrows) • Remnant channel (blue arrows) • Road captures water, bypasses most of meadow (black arrows)
Possible In-Meadow Work • Fill channel to direct flows toward remnant channel • Remove some encroaching conifers
Tyler Meadow Aspen grove in thick conifers • Release of 2 nd cohort needed to maintain viability • Fence out browsing species? Need to take down and put up fence each season • Road condition prohibits log trucks
Tyler Meadow Restoration Considerations – Reduce water/sediment transport from 8N03F – Return flows to remnant channel – Fill or pond and plug incised channel – Remove encroaching conifers from meadow – Thin conifers from aspen grove upslope of meadow – Fence aspen area temporarily to protect from grazing
Overview of Meadows and Stressors Meadow Name Road Channel Conifer Cattle Incisions Encroachment Grazing ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Upper Onion Valley ✓ ✓ ✓ High Onion MdwID_1734 ✓ Onion Creek Drainage ✓ ✓ ✓ Tyler Meadow MdwID_1737
Possible NEPA options for Project Work Road Work NEPA Channel Conifer Fencing Cattle Grazing Repair Removal ✓ CE 36 CFR Upper Onion EA for pond CE 36 CFR Grazing 220.6(d)(4) Valley and plug 220.6(e)(6) Allotment CE 36 CFR 220.6(e)(7). CE 36 CFR High Onion EA for pond 220.6(d)(4) and plug MdwID_1734 CE 36 CFR 220.6(e)(7). Onion Creek CE 36 CFR Drainage 220.6(e)(7). ✓ Tyler Meadow CE 36 CFR EA for pond CE 36 CFR 220.6(d)(4) and plug 220.6(e)(6) MdwID_1737 CE 36 CFR 220.6(e)(7).
ROAD PROJECTS
CE for Road Work • (4) Repair and maintenance of roads, trails, and landline boundaries. Examples include but are not limited to: • (i) Authorizing a user to grade, resurface, and clean the culverts of an established NFS road; • (ii) Grading a road and clearing the roadside of brush without the use of herbicides; • (iii) Resurfacing a road to its original condition; • (iv) Pruning vegetation and cleaning culverts along a trail and grooming the surface of the trail; and • (v) Surveying, painting, and posting landline boundaries. • Cite this category as 36 CFR 220.6(d)(4)
Road Conditions – 8N03
Possible Road Work
Rolling Drainage Dip
Estimated cost for erosion control on selected Cole Roads using a D4 Caterpillar Estimated Rolling Lead Off Cut Touchups Ditches 4 Road Date Locations¹ Dips² Hours Cost 6 5 Berms³ 12-Aug- 8N03 17 80 39 19 47 15 130 $13,000 8N03F Other Total 80 39 19 47 15 130 $13,000 Equipment Mobilization $1,500 Support Vehicle with Operator & Fuel $6,500 On-site Engineering Tech 7 $10,000 Contingency 15% $4,650 Grand Total $35,650 1- Flagged & numbered work sites 2- Map of erosion control points: Mdws_8N03_Drainage_Lidar.jpg 3- Remove outside berm 4- Shape lead off ditches in/off road for drainage 5- Clean 15 lead off ditches selected by on-site engineer@ 1/2 hour each 6- D4 with operator: 130 hrs x $100/hr = $13,000 7- On-site engineering tech: 130 hrs x $75/hr = $10,000
MEADOW RESTORATION PROJECT
In-Meadow Work Upper Onion Valley, High Onion, Tyler – Raise water table by pond and plug – Return flows to remnant channel – Gradient control structure at outlet of meadow – Remove encroaching conifers from meadow Example of Pond and Plug Restoration – Indian Valley
STREAM RESTORATION
CE for Instream Woody Structures • The following categorical exclusions are at 36 CFR 220.6(e). • (7) Modification or maintenance of stream or lake aquatic habitat improvement structures using native materials or normal practices. Examples include but are not limited to: • (i) Reconstructing a gabion with stone from a nearby source; • (ii) Adding brush to lake fish beds; and • (iii) Cleaning and resurfacing a fish ladder at a hydroelectric dam. • Cite this category as 36 CFR 220.6(e)(7).
Goals for Placement of Unanchored Instream Wood Structures Benefits: 1. Elevated stream bed over time by capturing sediment within the incised stream reaches. 2. Increased habitat complexity by formation of step pools and riffles. 3. Improved habitat for Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frogs by creating pools that hold water year around. 4. Elevated groundwater table to support establishment of riparian vegetation. 5. Reduced sediment transport to downstream sections, including Upper Onion Valley meadow. 6. Attenuated peak flows in spring and extended base flow in the summer.
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